[JURIST] The Israeli cabinet Sunday approved the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert [official profile] agreed to the release [BBC report] at a June 25 summit with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas [BBC profile] in an effort to show Israel's support for Abbas, a moderate. It is not clear which prisoners will be released or when. Israel is holding about 10,000 Palestinian prisoners. The country released [JURIST report] about 500 in February 2005 to bolster Abbas when he won the election.

After Hamas [BBC backgrounder] violently took over the Gaza Strip [BBC backgrounder] last month, Israel has made moves to strengthen Abbas, who favors peace talks. AP has more.

[JURIST] New Jersey [JURIST news archive] Governor Jon Corzine signed legislation [press release] to cut emissions of greenhouse gases [JURIST news archive] Friday, making New Jersey the third state in the nation to pass such laws to prevent global warming. California [JURIST report] and Hawaii have passed similar laws. New Jersey's Global Warming Response Act [A3301 text] requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and by 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050. New Jersey is the first state to set targets so far into the future.

When signing the legislation, Corzine criticized the Bush administration for not doing enough to solve global warming, saying "In the absence of leadership on the federal level, the burden of reducing greenhouse gases has now fallen upon the states." In April, President Bush urged [JURIST report] Congress to adopt his proposed targets for alternative fuel use [White House energy policy materials] as a way of combating greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier in the month, the US Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts v. EPA [JURIST report] that the Environmental Protection Agency [official website] may regulate automobile emissions. AP has more.